Attachment for smoking pipes



06t- 27, 1931. I WEBB 1,829,076

ATTACHMENT FOR SMOKING PIPES Filed Feb. 21. 1929 Patented Oct. 27, 1931' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY A. WEBB, OF .HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNO'R TO THE WEMITII CORPORA- TION, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT; A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT ATTACHMENT FOR SMOKING PIPES Application filed February 21, 1929. Serial No. 841,890.

This invention relates to an improved attachment. or device applicable to smoking P p Various attachments or appliances have been proposed heretofore for facilitating the clearing of the pipe bowl of ashes and unburned tobacco after smoking, such appliances being provided with disks or diaphragms located in or near the bowl bottom' and supporting a charge of tobacco, and

adapted to be lifted out of the bowl after smoking in order to lift or force out the ashes and unburned tobacco. Such devices, however, so far as I am advised, have not been practical or successful and have not been commonly used. This I ascribe to certain inherent defects in their principles of operation as well as in their mechanical struc ture.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a practical, effective and inexpensive device in the nature of an attachment for smoking pipe bowls, which will facilitate the use of the pipe, enable the bowl to be satisfactorily cleared from time to time, provide a proper draft, neither too free nor too constricted, and provide a cool dry smoke without tongue bite. I

In my improved attachment,the disk or follower for clearing the bowl is so arranged and supported in the bowl that the device is simplified in construction, while, at the same time, the bowl clearing actionis very positive and does not result in the tipping of the disk out of its proper plane so as to interfere with its action, or in deformation of the appliance from its proper shape. The device is of a durable nature and can be used with satisfactory results for a longperiod of time. In

mj my device, also, the draft from the mouth of the bowl to the stem inlet is less direct than in prior devices, so that the smoke entering which is readily adjustable to pipe bowls of different sizes, which can, be readily secured to the pipe bowl in the proper operatingposition so as to be firmly held in that position, and in which provision is made for maintaining at a relatively cool and comfortable temperature the outer parts of the appliance with Whichthe hand of the smoker may come in contact in smoking and which are manipulated in clearing the bowl after smoking.

Another object is to rovide a neat and attractive attachment of this general character which can be produced at low cost.

. To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter, described and claimed.

In the accompanying ,drawin s:

Figure 1 is a side elevation o a smoking pipe equipped with an attachment constructed in accordance with my invention Fig. 2 is a section on-line 22 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and/i are a side elevation and a plan view, respectively, of the attachment, on a somewhat larger scale;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on the lines 5-5 and 6 6,respectively, of Fig. 3 on a still larger scale; I I Fig. 6 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6 looking from theinner side;

. Fig. 7 is a detail of the escutcheon plate or disk at the outer end of the appliance as it appears before itis assembled to theouter end portion of the supporting wine;

Figs. 8 and 9'Sl1OW the same attachment exhibited in Fig. 2, but with the supporting wire or shank bent into different positions for application to pipe bowls of different shapes; and p Fig. 10 is a detail showing a modified .form

of the terminal member or button which engages the outer surface of the bowl.

In its general features, the improved attachment shownin the drawings comprises a disk or follower adapted to be located in the bowl near the bottom thereof, and a sup-- porting or suspending member of small crosssection permanently attached to the disk or follower substantially'at the center of the latter and removably engaging the upper wire 14.

edge or rim of the bowl at one side for holding the attachment removably on the pipe with the disk or follower in the proper position. The disk or follower is substantially a imperforate and is located somewhat above the inlet to the pipe stem, as shown in Fig. 2. The lateral edges of the disk or follower are wholly or partially spaced from the opposing side wall portions of the bowl, and in the preferred form there is a space between the lateral edge of the disk and the bowl ifilll e 11111131 portion or button serves also as a means whereby the appliance can be removed from the bowl.

In the attachment illustrated in the drawings,'the tobacco-supporting disk or follower 11 is constructed from a thin metal plate which in this instance is polygonal and preferably substantially square, the corners of the square being preferably rounded off as shown in Fig. 4. \Vhen supported in the pipe bowl, as shown in Fig. 2, the edges of this disk clear the opposing portion of the bowl wall at all points, although the clear ance at the corners of the disks is less than at other portions thereof. This is indicated in Fig. 4, where the dotted line 12 indicates that portion of the bowl wall which is in the 1 same plane as the disk.

Centrally, the disk is provided with an upstanding sleeve 13, preferably formed by drawing of the metal of the disk. Entering the sleeve 13, is the lower end of a suspending In practice, this wire is of rather small cross-section, for example No. 18 B. & S. gauge. Furthermore, this wire is by preference made of a material highly resistant to heat, of low heat conductivity, nonon'idizable and non-corrodible. A satisfactory material for the purpose is an alloy of iron, nickel, chromium and manganese, such as described in the Dempster Patent No. 963,123 of July 5, 1910.

The lower end of the wire 14, after being inserted in the upstanding sleeve 13, is securely locked therein in a suitable manner, as, for example, by a swaging operation which indents the wall of the sleeve and so deforms it and the lower end portion of the wire that tions l7, l8 and 19, which are offset or staggered with respect to the indentations and 16. Various changes may be made in this form of interlocking connection, but I consider the form shown a very satisfactory one inasmuch as the swaging referred to causes the lower end portion of the wire to be distorted and present a number of bends which are effectively locked in correspondingly formed bent portions of the sleeve in order to avoid any possibility of the disk member 11 becoming separated from its suspending wire.

At the upper end of the wire, the same is preferably formed into a circular loop, as shown at 20 in Figs. 6 and 6, and this loop is covered by a sheet metal plate or escutcheon 91, which strengthens the terminal structure and provides an enlarged and ornamental button member for gripping the bowl wall. In Fig. 7, I have shown at 22 the blank for small escutcheon plate or disk before it is applied to the wire loop. The disklike blank 22 has a marginal flange 2%, provided with a notch 22". This notch is adapted to clear the wire shank so as to permit the cupshaped blank to be pushed ov r the loop 20 into a position in which the inner surface of the disk body of the blank lies against the loop. After the disk has been thus positioned on the loop, the flange 22" is bent or folded over the loop so as to conform thereto and lock the disk on the loop, as shown in Figs. 6 and 6. In these figures the flange bent about the loop is shown at 23.

In Fig. 10, I have shown a modified form of button or outer terminal for the applianc In this case the finishing disk or escutcheon is omitted and the enlarged terminal is provided by winding into a flat spiral the end portion of the wire 14, as shown at 2 1. In this case, also, the enlarged terminal is of flat disk-like shape adapted to lie flatwise against the outer surface of the pipe bowl, but I do not limit myself to the use of a disklike terminal in all cases.

As manufactured and sold, the attachment is preferably bent into the shape shown in Fig. 2. As will be seen from this figure, a portion 141 of the wire, lying immediately above the sleeve 13, directed obliquely with respect to the disk 11, and this oblique portion is connected with a substantially vertical portion 14;" approximately parallel to the sleeve 15:3 but considerably offset therefrom. The vertical portion 1 1 joins acomp atively short horizontal portion 14 adapted to engage the upper edge of the bowl rim. From the portion 14. a small portion of the wire carrying the terminal enlargement is bent downwardly so as to engage the outer surface of the bowl.

The manner in which the attachment is applied to the pipe is shown in Figs. 1 and The device is inserted into the pipe bowl establishing the draft but on the other hand .bacco, and the disk 11 serves as a support for the tobacco charge, against which the latter may be pressed or tamped down. The

disk ll clears the bowl wallperipherally as previously described, providing a peripheral space or spaces outside of the disk body for through the charge, the disk is suliici'ently large to support the charge in the bowl and prevent any appreciable amount of tobacco passing down into the extreme bottom of the bowl to clog the stem bore 25. A partially open, space isthereby provided between the lower face of the disk and the inlet to the stem bore, and this space does not become jammed or clogged as with a pipe unprovided with such an attachment; In smoking the pipe, it will be observed that a free draft is provided owing to the provision for.

preventing jamming of the tobacco into and against the inlet of the stem bore or duct. There is therefore less di'lliculty in this re spect occasioned by tightly forcing the tobacco into the bowl. On the other hand, the smoke is cooler owing to the bafiling effect of the disk 11 around which a certain amount of the draft must pass downwardly, thus giving it a somewhat more circuitous path than in the ordinary pipe. Again, the form of my attachment is such as to prevent the formation of open spaces through the charge leading directly to or toward the stem inlet, as has-been the case with certain prior suggested attachments of this general. character. It will be observed that the wire 14, (it quite small cross-section so as to occupy a very small amount of space in the charge of tobacco, and the portion 14 of the wire shank is deflected obliquely toward the top center of the disk 11, instead of being directed toward the stem inlet. I Owing to the small cross-section of the wire, there is little tendency to create around and alongside the wire an'open space providing a very direct and tongue-binning draft to the stem inlet, as might be produced by the provision of a large and bulky disk support providing a large tobacco contacting surface; but in any case a considerable part of the supporting wire deflected laterally above the disk so that if the smoke passing down through the bowl tends to follow the supporting wire, it will-strike and bcbafiied or deflected by the upper surface of the disk instead of passing directly downward alongthe inside surface of the bowl to the stem inlet.

After the pipe has been smoked, the remaining ashes and unburned tobacco can be readily removed from the bowl by lifting the disk or follower 11. This can be very readily accomplished by placing the thumb under the enlarged terminal member and e:-:- erting upward pressure thereon so as to free the supporting member from engagement proper plane.

the disk and are there with the rim and cause upward and outward movement. of the disk. In thisway the bowl can be very easilyand quickly cleared for another charge of tobacco. After the attachment has been lifted out of the bowl the latter is inverted and any small particles of tobacco or ash that lie beneath the disk 11 drop out freely. The attachment is then replaced, and by exerting a slight pressure thereon that part of the supporting i shank which engages the bowl rim may be caused to grip or clamp it pressure toprevent dislocation of the attachment inordinary use. The bowl ma then be refilled for another smoke.

Owing to the fact that the supporting member is attached to the tobacco-holding disk substantiallycentrally of the latter,-the

disk may be given a very positive movement in clearing the bowl Without. creating any tendency to bend or cant the disk outof its This substantially central connection of the disk with its support is also of advantage in providing a circuitous draft, as above pointed out. Inasmuch as it is unnecessary to perforate the disk, the latter being substantially imperforate, the construction V of the disk further, increased.

The tobacco-supporting disk, as the-smoke passes downwardly over the same,'absorbs a considerable amount of heat from the smoke, and as a result the smoke entering the stem inlet is cooler than it would otherwise be. The vapors created as a result of the combustion in the pipe, tend to follow the supporting wire down to the top face of held, to be absorbed by the tobacco above and adjacent to the plate, and when the pipebowl is cleared,

this moisture is removed from the bowl. Any tobacco passing below the disk is usually inv aloose form so that it will readily drop out of the pipe bowl when the disk has been removed, together with moisture adhering to this relatively small amount of tobacco. My attachmentis readily applicable to pipes of zdifierent sizes and shapes. As sold, it is applicable to a great many difi'erent pipes without the necessity of making any substantial changes in its original shape, but if such changes are required,they may be readily brought about by proper bending of the thin Wire supporting shank. In Fig. 8

I have shown the shank bent-to fit a pipe with sufiicient is simplified and the bathing effect fective length of the shank may be brought about in other ways, for example, by giving the lower portion of the shank a lateral or spiral bend which will take up the necessary amount of this length to adapt the appliance to the short bowl.

Owing to the fact that the disk supporting member is preferably made of the alloy above mentioned, or similar alloy, there is very little conduction of heat to the outer part of the device, and therefore it can at all times be handled without discomfort. Owing to the fact that the material used is highly resistant to heat, the combustion of the tobacco does not injuriously affect it and the taste of-the smoke is in nowise affected by the presence in the bowl of this metallic substance. I do not, however, restrict myself to the use of this particular material in all cases. The charge supporting disk itself may be made of this material, but in practice a supporting disk of brass, plated with nickel, has given excellent results,

Various changes may be made in the details of construction. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe the various modifications which may be adopted without departing from the ambit of my invention as defined in the claims. For example, while I have shown the disk 11 as being of polygonal shape, it might be round in some cases, and while I have shown a device in which the tobacco-supporting member is freely suspended in the bowl without touching the latter at any point in the periphery of said member, the provisions for creating a peripheral. draft may be varied also.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation which will lie within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a smoking pipe, of a relatively flat imperforate charge-sup porting disk or follower, and supporting means for said disk or follower having removable connection with the bowl rim and attached to said disk or follower substantially centrally thereof at the upper face of said disk.

2. The combination with a smoking pipe, of an imperforate tobacco-supporting disk located in the bottom of the bowl, and between the edge of which disk and the side wall of the bowl the draft passes downwardly, and a supporting member'for said disk extending over the bowl rim to the outside of the pipe and attached to said disk at the upper face thereof and extending immediately upwardly therefrom at a point remote from the disk periphery.

'3. The combination with a smoking pipe,

of an imperforate tobaccosupporting disk located in the bottom of the bowl, and a supportinginember for said disk permanently attached to said disk at the upper face thereof and at a point remote from the disk periphery and extending upwardly therefrom over the bowl rim, said disk being substantially smaller than the bowl opening and having its edge spaced laterally from the bowl wall to provide a side space through which the draft passes downwardly.

4. An appliance for smoking pipes comprising a relatively flat imperforate charge supporting disk or follower having a continuous non-circular peripheral edge, and means for supporting said disk within the bowl of the pipe including a connection adapted to be removably associated with the bowl rim and attached to the disk substantially centrally thereof.

5. An appliance for smoking pipes comprising an imperforate tobacco supporting disk adapted to be located within the bottom of the pipe bowl, said disk having a continuous non-circular edge portion, and means for supporting said disk within the pipe bowl, said means being adapted to extend over the rim of the bowl to the outside of the pipe and being attached to the disk at the upper. face thereof and extending immediately upwardly therefrom at a point remote from the disk periphery.

6. An appliance for smoking pipes comprising an imperforate tobacco supporting disk adated to be located in the bottom of the pipe lOWl, said disk having a continuous non-circular peripheral edge portion, and means for supporting said disk within the pipe bowl, said means being secured to the disk substantially centrally thereof and being provided above its point of connection with the disk with a laterally offset portion directed. toward and substantially into contact with the side wall of the pipe bowl, said offset portion being obliquely disposed.

7. An appliance for smoking pipes comprising an imperforate disk having a sleeve substantially centrally of the upper face thereof and projecting upwardly therefrom,

and a support engaged and secured in the sleeve, said support extending obliquely upwardly to the pipe to the bowl rim.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sct my hand this 20th day of February, 1929.

HARRY A. WEBB.

bowl and thence upwardly 

